LIKE A TREE
JUNE 6
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water ••• whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (Psalm 1:3)
The Bible likens the prosperous man to a tree because:
- It’s stable. That’s because it draws continually from underground streams. If you want to succeed, learn how to draw daily on the indwelling power of God’s Spirit. Not all of the answers are in heaven; some of them are within you waiting for expression.
- It’s productive. Note the words, “Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalm 1:3). You’ve got to do something to be blessed! You say. “But I’m praying about it. “That’s good; prayer releases the favor of God-but work releases the force of man! When one is in harmony with the other, you’re unstoppable. Don’t just pray for a better relationship with your husband or wife – give them more attention. Don’t ask for better credit, or more money – set a budget and start living within your means.
- It’s connected. Without additional sources to draw from, a tree may survive, but It II never reach its full potential for fruitfulness. And neither will you. You can’t beg or borrow somebody else’s fruit, but There’s a lot to be said for using a little of their pollen to stimulate what God’s already placed within you, Joshua drew from Moses. Timothy drew from Paul.
FROM WHOM ARE YOU DRAWING TODAY?
Taken from the BEST OF THE WORD FOR TODAY
Several weeks after a young man had been hired, he was called into the personnel manager’s office.
“What is the meaning of this?” the manager asked. “When you applied for the job, you told us you had 5 years’ experience. Now we discover this is the first job you’ve ever had.”
“Well,” the young man said, “in your ad you said you wanted somebody with imagination.”
THE REJECTION TEST
June 5
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1:11)
How many of us would spend our last night with someone if we knew they were going to betray us the next day? Jesus did. He was faithful even when others were not. There is no greater opportunity for you to grow in Christian love than when you are rejected and abused. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who crucified Him. Amazing!
How you handle rejection reveals whether you have truly died to self and to the world. It’s impossible for a dead man to feel rejection. On the other hand, being rejected without being offended is one of the greatest demonstrations of spiritual maturity-it’s being Christ-like.
In the Old Testament, a priest was not allowed to minister if he had scabs. (See Leviticus 21:20.) A scab is an unhealed wound. And when you have unhealed spiritual wounds, you’re touchy, you can’t function the way God wants you to, and it will show up in the things you say. You need to be healed, because only when you pass the “rejection test” can you reach out in love and make others whole.
ASK GOD TO HELP YOU PASS THE TEST!
Taken from the BEST OF THE WORD FOR TODAY
Mannerisms The six-year-old girl went to school looking very grown up in a new dress and shoes. When she came home her mother asked if anyone had mentioned her new clothes.
”Yes,” she replied, “the teacher did. She said as long as I dressed like a lady, why didn’t I act like one?” ..
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE
JUNE 3
We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)
No matter how timid you are, don’t allow anybody to dominate or direct your life. Get back into the driver’s seat and take the wheel, for only you know where God has told you to go!
Too often our actions are dictated not by a sense of purpose, but by a need to please. We care so much about what certain people think, that with every step we take, we’re looking over our shoulder to see whether they’re smiling or frowning.
Hear this clearly: Your first responsibility is to please God, not people. In the end, you’re accountable to Him alone (see Romans 14:12).
Listen: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3 NIV). But you say, “I don’t worship idols.” You do when you dedicate your life to impressing people instead of obeying God.
“But who am I to assert myself?” you ask. Who are you not to? As a child of’ God, your first responsibility is to please your Father and your second is to live your life to its fullest!
TODAY, IT’S TIME TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE AND GET BACK IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT!
Taken from the BEST OF THE WORD FOR TODAY
An artist asked the gallery owner if there had been any interest in his paintings on display at that time.
“I have good news and bad news,” the owner replied. “The good news is that a gentleman inquired about your work and wondered if it would appreciate in value after your death. When I told him it would, he bought all 15 of your paintings.”
“That’s wonderful,” the artist exclaimed. “What’s the bad news?”
“The guy was your doctor …” …
An elderly lady was overheard saying these words:
”I’ve reached the age when my train of thought often leaves the station without me.”
GET UP AND FIGHT
GET UP AND FIGHT
MAY 27
Fight the good fight of faith … whereunto thou art also called. (1 Timothy 6: 12)
Some of us are strong in faith but weak in fight. Without fight, Caleb would never have gotten his inheritance. Listen: “Now therefore give me this mountain … if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out” (Joshua 14:12),
To subdue Goliath, David had to fight. What a scene! “Then said David to the Philistine, .. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:45-47). Did you hear that? “All shall know that the battle is the Lord’s!” The world wants to know if the God we talk about is bigger than the (Goliath they’re looking at. Their weapons don’t work, and they’re wondering if ours do.
Jesus challenged religious systems that enslaved people with rules that nobody could live up to, including those who made a living by preaching them. He had something to say, and He had the courage
to say it. How about you? It’s a lot easier to admire Jesus than it is to follow Him. The moment you really decide to follow Him, you’re in for the fight of your life-in the workplace, the community, the home, and anywhere else you happen to be.
REMEMBER, BIG BATTLES PRODUCE BIG VICTORIES, AND THAT’S WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOU TODAY.
TAKEN FROM THE BEST OF THE WORD FOR TODAY.
Remember the fallen & their families this Memorial Day. Honor those who have so honored us.
Did you hear the one about the Liberty Bell? Yeah, it cracked me up too!
If you want to avoid traffic this memorial day then avoid traveling on memorial day weekend.
The patriots blood is the seed of Freedoms tree.
We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them.
THE TONGUE
He who guards his lips guards his life. (Proverbs 13:3 NIV)
“The boneless tongue, so small and weak, can crush and kill,” declares the Greek.
“The tongue destroys a greater hoard,” the Turk asserts, “Than does the sword.”
A Persian proverb wisely saith, “A lengthy tongue-an early death”; or sometimes takes this form instead, “Don’t let your tongue cut off your head.”
“The tongue can speak a word whose speed,” the Chinese say, “outstrips the steed”, while Arab sages this impart, “The tongue’s great storehouse is the heart.”
From Hebrew wit this maxim sprung, “Though feet should slip, ne’er let the tongue.”
The sacred writer crowns the whole, “Who keeps his tongue doth keep his soul. ”
James says, “If anyone can control his tongue, it proves that he has perfect control over himself in every other way” (James 3:2 TLB).
If this is the standard by which we are measured, how well are you doing? It s so hard to keep quiet, especially when you have strong opinions, or when you’re constantly provoked.
Listen: “They called him [Jesus] everything in the book, and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right” (1 Peter 2:23 TM), As I read these words, my heart cries, Lord, help me! I fall so far short of this standard.
MAYBE THAT’S A PRAYER YOU ALSO SHOULD PRAY TODAY.
Taken from THE BEST of THE WORD FOR TODAY
What don’t homeless people get Knock knock jokes.
A company offered tours through the historic district, led by guides dressed in Colonial clothing.
While leading a group, one of the guides, tripped and fell, breaking his wrist. He went to the hospital, and as he sat waiting in the emergency room, a policeman walked by.
Doing a double take at him in his 18th-century garb he asked, “Just how long have you been waiting?
DON’T STOP PRAYING
Prayer is one of the highest expressions of love. It’s “standing in the gap” (see Ezekiel 22:30) on behalf of another. It’s both a privilege and a great responsibility. James says, “Pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). When times are discouraging and things seem to be getting worse, keep praying: Paul says, “I make mention of you always in my prayers” (Romans 1:9).
A dear Christian friend of mine who died in his nineties could recall the names of scores of people others seemed to have difficulty remembering. When asked how he could do this, he said, “Because I pray for them by name every day. “You can’t forget somebody you’re praying for.
God works through your prayers. Listen: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3). Your prayers become the bridge over which the answers pass, and the wire through which God’s power flows into the situation. When you stop praying, a door closes. God comes by invitation. Even though Israel was in rebellion, Samuel
knew that it would be a sin to stop praying for them. God says, “You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest” (Isaiah 62:6-7 NIV).
KEEP PRAYING, CHILD OF GOD, FOR PRAYER CHANGES THINGS.
Taken from THE BEST of THE WORD FOR TODAY
On the last day of kindergarten, all the children brought presents for their teacher.
The florist’s son handed the teacher a gift. She shook it, held it up, and said, “I bet it’s some flowers!”
“That’s right!” shouted the little boy.
Then the candy store owner’s daughter handed the teacher a gift. She held it up, shook it, and said, “I bet I know what it is! It’s a box of candy!”
“That’s right!” shouted the little girl.
The next gift was from the liquor store owner’s son. The teacher held it up and saw that it was leaking. She touched a drop with her finger and tasted it.
“Is it wine?” she asked.
“No,” the boy answered. The teacher touched another drop to her tongue.
“Is it champagne?” she asked.
“No,” the boy answered.
“What is it?” she said.
“A puppy!”
ARE YOU A SECRET DISCIPLE?
MAY 22
Joseph of Aritnathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jew
(John 19:38)
Years ago a famous atheist gave a talk to 2,000 students in a North American university. For an hour she ridiculed religion, defied God, and attacked the Bible. When she finished, a Christian girl at the back of the auditorium stood up and began to sing, “Stand up. Stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the Cross, lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.”
For a moment there was stunned silence. Then in another section of the auditorium, a young man stood to his feet and joined in, singing, “From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead.” Others jumped to their feet and joined in, until all over the auditorium hundreds of students were singing, “From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead, ’til every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.”
Enraged, the atheist stormed from the podium, swearing she would never be back. What she had tried to build for the devil in an hour- long speech was torn down in a few moments by the commitment
and the courage of a young Christian who refused to be a secret disciple. Are you a “closet Christian,” like Joseph of Arimathea?
TODAY, GOD IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK UP FOR JESUS. DON’T MISS IT!
Taken from THE BEST of THE WORD FOR TODAY
A traveling salesman for a large sporting goods company stopped for lunch in a small town. He noticed that it had a college on the other end of the street. As he passed a student on the campus, he stopped the lad and asked the name of the college. “Sorry Sir, I really don’t know the name of the college,” he muttered. “You see, Sir, I am just a football player here.” …
AMBASSADOR
MAY 21
We are ambassadors for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
An ambassador holds a position of great honor and responsibility. They have to know the mind of your king and represent his interests only. Someone who gives his own opinions would never qualify,
Often kings would recall ambassadors after only two or three years. They were afraid that if they stayed in another country too long, they would become more concerned with that country’s interests than those of their own king.
We, too, must guard our hearts from becoming more attuned to the interests of this present age than to those of Christ. Paul writes, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10). It can happen easily; Demas was seduced by things and lured away by the appeal of the world.
The Lord doesn’t change His ambassadors every few, years; you have a lifetime commission. Therefore, you must be careful, to keep your mind and heart set on God’s interests alone. Paul said, If I were, stIll
trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 NIV). As long as you fear men and seek their praises, you can never properly represent your King and HIS Kingdom.
TODAY, ASK GOD TO TRULY MAKE YOU HIS AMSASSADOR. WHAT A CALLING!
Taken from THE BEST of THE WORD FOR TODAY
An unemployed guy got a new job at the zoo. They offered him to dress up in a gorilla’s skin and pretend to be a gorilla so people will keep coming to the zoo.
On his first day on the job, the guy puts on the skin and goes into the cage. The people all cheer to see him. He starts really putting on a show, jumping around, beating his chest and roaring. During one acrobatic attempt, though, he loses his balance and crashes through some safety netting, landing square in the middle of the lion cage!
As he lies there stunned, the lion roars. He’s terrified and starts screaming “Help, Help!” The lion races over to him, places his paws on his chest and hisses, “Shut up or we’ll both lose our jobs!”
TO BE LIKE JESUS
MAY 20
And we … are being transformed into his likeness. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV)
Teaching is very important, but people are not changed by doctrine. Some of the most critical, self-righteous, self-serving people I’ve ever met, held positions in the Church. Some were even Bible school graduates, and taught the Word. But try to do business with them, and you’ll always end up with the short end of the stick! Don’t cross them, for they have tempers like tornados! When some of them are far away from home, it’s amazing where you’ll find them.
Don’t get me wrong, sound teaching is critically important and we must have it. But a few minutes in the manifest presence of the Lord, can accomplish more than weeks or years cf theology. Remember Saul
on the Damascus Road? (See Acts 9.)
Teaching that’s anointed by His Spirit will lead those who hear it into God’s presence, where truth is transmitted from the head to the heart. The Living Bible says, “As the Spirit of the Lord works
within us, we become more and more like him” (2 Corinthians 3:18TLB).
MAKE THE GOAL OF YOUR LIFE TODAY TO SE LIKE JESUS.
Taken from THE BEST of THE WORD FOR TODAY
What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Nothing, they just waved.
A mother was starting out of the house to attend a party. One of her seven children said, “Mother, please let us go with you. “”No, children, this is a surprise party,” she told them. The child thought for a moment and said, “Wouldn’t the lady be more surprised if you brought the seven of us along with you?” …
TRUST